John Lennon's killer has again been denied parole nearly 30 years after gunning him down outside the ex-Beatle's New York City apartment building.

A parole board decided not to release Mark David Chapman after interviewing him at Attica Correctional Facility in New York.

It was Chapman's sixth appearance before the board since becoming eligible for parole in 2000. He will be eligible again in 2012.

Chapman, 55, had been scheduled to appear last month, but the hearing was postponed by parole officials, who said at the time they were awaiting additional information. They did not elaborate.

Among those who have opposed his release is Lennon's 77-year-old widow, Yoko Ono, who said last month that she believed Chapman was a potential threat to her family.

The former maintenance man from Hawaii was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison after firing five shots outside Lennon's Manhattan building on December 8, 1980, hitting Lennon four times in front of his wife and others. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

At his last parole hearing, in 2008, Chapman told the panel he was ashamed and sorry for what he had done and had since developed a deeper understanding of the value of a human life.

He said he had been seeking notoriety and fame to counter feelings of failure.